We Love To Gawk At Fit Celebs - How Maria Menounos went from size 14 to 4

Posted on Sep 18th 2008 10:00AM by Kristen Seymour

Filed Under: We Love To Gawk At Fit Celebs, Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Celebs & Entertainment

(Who's the biggest loser? Click the photo for more Shocking Celebrity Slimdowns!)

Seeing Maria Menounos now, it's hard to believe she was ever overweight. However, in college, the brunette beauty would easily down five pieces of pizza in a sitting, eventually finding herself in a size 14. It was then that she decided it was time to do something about it.

It didn't happen instantly. "Depriving myself didn't work because, yeah, I'd resist a craving one night, but then it'd come back the next day and it'd be worse." She started eating just a little less pizza, and, by being a little more careful about what she ate, she lost 20 pounds in five months. She lost 20 more pounds over the next six months by adding in exercise.

What I find so impressive about this is that she did it before she was famous, before she had any money. She did hire a trainer once, though for $70: "I hired her for one session, and she wrote out for me a general circuit program of jump rope, steps, push-ups, sit-ups, squats, and lunges." She still has that paper in case the pounds creep back on. However, seeing as how she's kept the weight off for nine years, that doesn't seem likely.

Can you believe she was 5 sizes bigger?(click thumbnails to view gallery)

Now that she's a busy celebrity, she can afford trainers and nutritionists, but she still has one major challenge -- fitting exercise into her schedule. "I squeeze things in every which way I can," says the Access Hollywood and NBC Nightly News personality, who hits the treadmill and works with a trainer when she can, plays basketball with coworkers, and even does squats while chatting on the phone.

Additionally, she incorporates martial arts into her routine and tries to be careful about her diet. Although, she does scarf down a piece of pizza on occasion.

Shocking Celebrity Slimdowns(click thumbnails to view gallery)

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Tags: college, diet, exercise, expire-images2009-9-16, fitness, maria menounos, MariaMenounos, trainer, weight-loss

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

MOM 9-19-2008 @ 7:39AM

She didn't lose TEN dress sizes. She lost FIVE dress sizes...still a very nice accomplishment.

Sue 9-19-2008 @ 3:11PM

Mom, you said exactly what I was thinking as I read the article. The headline writer must have been a man that doesn't understand womens dress sizing. Anyway, dropping 5 dress sizes is still a great accomplishment'

valreie ratner 9-19-2008 @ 8:36AM

Thank you for correcting that headline..If she lost 10 dress sizes, she would have been at least 100 lbs overweight..

K 9-19-2008 @ 9:02AM

She squeezes in A piece of pizza? A piece? As in ONE? Hearing about how little these people eat and think how it's so much just amazes me. I wish I could eat ONE piece of pizza and be stuffed. But then again, my career doesn't revolve around my looks, so I can't relate...............

Karen 9-19-2008 @ 10:36AM

One piece of pizza is about 700 calories, which fits in with a womans 2000 calorie daily intake. It doesn't say that she isn't still hungry after eating only one slice. Thinner people (who aren't lucky enough to have good genes) keep their weight stable by eating the correct amount of food. Most people aren't aware of how many extra calories they eat in a day, or more how much food they shouldn't eat.

Becrenee 9-19-2008 @ 9:50AM

I have never been able to eat 5 slices of pizza at one time in my life and I am over weight.... if I had ever gotten to that point I wouldn't be so over weight I wouldn't be able to move. I am amazed had how much some people can eat.

v jones 9-19-2008 @ 9:52AM

What--I would like to know-- is the matter w/being a size 14? No wonder the girls today have such a problem w/their body images & are starving themselves--literally-- to death.Most of these "stars" look like scarecrows w/skin & promoting that sort of look is a tragedy.I prefer to see a girl who looks healthy rather than like someone who would blow away in the wind.

Lynn 9-19-2008 @ 11:49AM

In high school, I was a size 14. I weighed 140 and was 5'9". I was very athletic and surely didn't believe I was overweight. No wonder so many girls have eating disorders.

Brittney 9-19-2008 @ 12:22PM

I think it depends on how tall the girl is too... I'm losing weight because I was a 10-12 and I'm only 5'2. I'll always be curvy but I dont have to be a 12 or 14 to do that.. One peice of pizza is fine for most girls anyways so whats the problem? She looks great!

Ken 9-19-2008 @ 10:18AM

Just less of her to love....

Lynne 9-19-2008 @ 10:30AM

A size 14 is not fat.

kim 9-19-2008 @ 10:46AM

Great for Maria! Will people please stop referring to it as "10" sizes; 7/8 is technically 1 size, 9/10 is the same, 11/12 is the same and so on. 5 sizes, still a great achievement.

Robin 9-19-2008 @ 10:59AM

I am 43 now and a size 18 and by the way am morbidly obese, but at 17 in college I was a 5 if you were over a size 9 (jr sizes in the popular stores back then and all gap sold were sweats) you may as well have stayed home because no one really paid attention to you if you went out...size 14 is overweight ..my college roomate was a 6 foot tall athlete and wore a 9, no fat all muscle

M Dooley 9-19-2008 @ 10:53AM

A size 14 is not bad for a woman 5 8 -- but not so good for a woman who is 5 1 ot 2. with a small bone structure. Everything is relative.
More importantly, the "freshman 15" was at work in the original weight gain, and MOST people lose that weight they put on the first year of college. No brainer.

marian 9-19-2008 @ 11:18AM

A size 14 is overwieght for maybe peter pans girlfriend, tink. For a girl who is over 5'5 I don't think so. Come on let's stop trying to make all the women disappear.

Sophia 9-19-2008 @ 11:33AM

A size 14 is big enough to want to do something about the way you look. I am tired of people saying that big girls are sexy. There is nothing sexy about not seeing your cooch for years. There is nothing sexy about roles oozing out of your shirts and bras. And most importantly, it's healthy to be overweight. Do yourself and your family a favor by losing the weight so they don't have to bury you before your time. God says to treat your body as a temple and over-indulging yourself in things that make you happy is not the way. And I say good for her that she lost 40 lbs. She did it without surgery which is unheard of nowadays. Fat people need to get off their butts and start to give a crap about themselves!!!

Ali 9-19-2008 @ 12:05PM

You are ignorant. I work in the medical field and a size 14 is not fat when you have the body structure that goes along with it. Someone who is 5'2" and small bone structure is surely overweight at a size 14 but not someone who is 5'9" and medium to large bone structure. A dress size doesn't matter if someone is withing their weight class for their bone structure and height. It should all be about health. Calling someone who is large "lazy" is an insult to those who have medical conditions. You have no idea what someone else is dealing with so everyone should STOP being judgemental.

DARJA 9-19-2008 @ 2:32PM

Sophia first of all, you may want to check your comments for editing before you send them, because you state that it is healthy to be overweight. Second, what girl wants to see their own cooch? That's just not right. I am all for loving who you are. Yes, I am a little overweight, but I do not see the point in living without enjoying myself. When is America going to wake up and face real issues, not how someone looks or how much they way. So, Sophia, get off your ass and stop being so shallow and judgemental.

Angie 9-19-2008 @ 11:41AM

What's up with the other "shocking celebrity slimdown" photos? Some are quite significant but most of the before and after photos look exactly the same.

harmonybrush 9-19-2008 @ 11:50AM

I WISH i was a size 14, but I'm struggling between 16 and 18 (which is only a size or two, but still feels like a HUGE difference).

14 is only overweight/fat if you're 12 years old or younger. It's ridiculous how mean people can be, and even more ridiculous that people abstain from eating because they think size 14 is too big. Granted, my goal is to fit into a size 12, but that's just because it's a healthy distance from where I am now (and Yes, I am working on it through portion control, smarter dietary choices, and exercise).

But 14 isn't fat.